


Elvis Or The Beatles?

by Natileroxs



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Misunderstandings, Not Beta Read, One Shot, Read that one first, based on another fic, fic of a fic, nothing massive, possibly referenced suicide attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 11:24:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20025013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natileroxs/pseuds/Natileroxs
Summary: They're on break and Ryan can't fathom why Spencer is calling him. But when he finds out, he doesn't really like the answer.Read the other fic first - Keeping TimeThis is based on the chapter '42'





	Elvis Or The Beatles?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [akire_yta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/akire_yta/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Keeping Time](https://archiveofourown.org/works/939477) by [akire_yta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/akire_yta/pseuds/akire_yta). 

> I cannot stress this enough READ THE OTHER FIC FIRST
> 
> In all honesty, it's a fantastic fic that I have read and reread several times and completely fallen in love with. I may just end up writing a bunch more one-shots about it, simply because I love it so much. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy.

Ryan tries to call Spencer that morning. It goes straight to voicemail. As soon as it does, he groans, because of course the dumbass hadn’t charged his phone. He chooses to toss his phone on the table and laze about the couch the whole day, flicking through TV stations and taking the occasional nap. 

When of course, the phone rings. 

It’s Spencer. Finally. 

  
“Hey Spencer. Miss me already?” He hums into the phone, getting a quick, ever so slightly strained _ “Hey Ryan” _ in return. Ryan stretches out on the couch as he speaks again. “What’s up?”

"Actually, I wanted to pick your trivia brain for a minute. Who had the most number ones pre-download, Elvis or the Beatles?" Ryan blinks, his eyebrows raise despite no one being around to see them, and he thinks for a minute. 

“You want to know what?” He breathes out, confused. Spencer repeats the question calmly, but his breathing is laboured and there’s a small hint of urgency in his voice. Ryan attempts to ignore it. “Where are you?”

"Out. Shopping. With some...with my cousins." Oh, bullshit.

“Really? Cos I called your place this morning - did you run out of battery this morning, by the way? - and your mother didn't say anything about cousins. She did mention a drum tech and a weird night..." He shoots back, frowning at the phone. 

“Ryan!” Spencer shouts and Ryan recoils, making a small sound of protest at the sudden outburst. Spencer’s tone then becomes a little pleading, “Please Ryan.” He pauses and then continues. “I've got fifty bucks riding on this, and you're the only person who'd know the answer."

Well… If that’s the case, "Fifty, huh? You're so buying the coffee next time..."

Mummers of sound filtered through the speaker and sure, Spencer’s explanation is reasonably believable, but still. Spencer’s voice comes down the line again. “Yeah, yeah. Elvis or the Beatles, Ryan?" 

Ryan only has to think for a moment. He sighs with disappointment as he recalls the answer. “As much as it pains me to admit it, Elvis."

He hears Spencer cry out the answer and Ryan smirks. More background noises can be heard and then, “Ryan, you rock.” 

Flattery? Again? Wow, Spencer… “I know, but don’t…” He cuts himself off as he hears an ear splitting shriek. It makes his bones rattle and he clenches the phone in his hand. “Fuck, Spence, what was that?” He gets out, and receives a muddled and rushed reply. 

“Cranky toddler just dropped her ice cream. Listen, I've gotta go...go collect. Talk to you soon.” 

The line disconnects and Ryan breathes in and out slowly, calming himself down. He doesn’t quite believe Spencer’s explanation of the sound, but he doesn’t have anything else to go on, so he shrugs it off. 

He, instead, hums lyrics to himself as he grabs himself a snack. It’s not even twenty minutes later when he receives another phone call from Spencer, which he just shakes his head at. “Spencer, twice in an hour. Did you understand the whole idea of a 'break'?" 

Then he hears Spencer’s uneven breaths. Alarm bells immediately begin to ring in his mind. "Yeah, I know. I just...wanted to check in,” Spencer says, sounding like he’s trying so hard to appear normal. 

“Spencer.” Ryan sits up, tone completely serious. “What’s wrong?” 

More rattled breaths. “Ryan, I...I'm...I just needed to tell you something…” 

“Spencer,” He says a little more forcefully, fingers trembling with worry. “Are you okay?” He feels like he knows the answer but he has to ask. 

“I don't have a lot of time, and I just wanted to...to make sure we were good.”

Oh no.

“Spencer, you’re scaring me.” He attempts to slow his pounding heart. Somethings wrong. Somethings very, very wrong. 

Spencer doesn’t say anything for a few moments and then, “Ryan, I love you, okay. I just needed to tell you that.” Ryan starts panicking, springing to his feet, ready to run, ready to find his best friend. The rest just makes him panic further. “And I need you to tell my family, and Jon and Brendon too. I love you, and I'm sorry. I...I…” Ryan can hear the tears in his voice. 

“Spencer, tell me where you are, we'll come and get you.” He knows he sounds bad. He shoves shoes on. 

Spencer sniffles, obviously trying his best not to cry. “Bit late for that, Ryan.” 

Ryan’s grip on the phone gets tighter. “Spencer!” He cries, willing his friend to hang on for just a bit longer. Just until Ryan can get to him. Then he hears two words. 

“Bye Ry.” 

The phone clicks, signaling that Spencer has hung up. Ryan hits redial, and the thing sends him straight to voicemail. He tries again, and again, and again. And then he switches up tactic. He calls Spencer’s mom, which goes to voicemail as well.

He tries Brendon, who actually does pick up. 

“Ryan?” He sounds groggy, like he’s just awoken from a long nap. He probably has. 

“Spencer’s scaring me. Can you see if you can get onto him.” 

“What’s wrong with Spencer?” Brendon sounds a lot more alert, and Ryan’s glad that he’s taking it so seriously. 

“He was talking really weirdly, like he was in danger. Like…” He trails off, but he knows that Brendon doesn’t need any more of an explanation. Ryan can hear movement on the other end. 

“I’ll try calling him, he’ll… he’ll be fine, Ryan.” Ryan’s not sure who Brendon’s trying to reassure. Ryan or himself. 

He hangs up and Ryan anxiously paces the hall until his phone goes off. He pulls it up to his face, pleading deeply for it to be Spencer. Just please… please be Spencer. 

It’s Brendon, again. And his voice is incredibly distraught. 

“He didn’t answer. Nor did his mom. I tried like seven or eight times.” Ryan breathes in and out. And in, and out. And then he begins to say those words aloud, making sure Brendon was breathing with him. 

They stay on the line, just breathing together, slowly, steadily, for over seven minutes, when his phone makes a noise declaring he’s getting another call. He hesitantly takes a peek and his eyes widen as he spots Spencer’s name. 

Brendon must hear the hitch in his voice because he immediately questions. 

“Ryan? What’s wrong?”

“Spencer’s calling me.” He states slowly.

“Holy shit, hurry up. Answer him. And then call me back later.” Brendon commands. “Please.   
  
“Okay.” Ryan simultaneously hangs up on Brendon and answers Spencer. 

Ryan’s foot taps with nerves as he hears the connection click, and he can’t stop himself from crying out, “Spencer!” 

“Hey… sorry about before.” Ryan breathes out, feeling both relieved and a little pissed off. The fucker scared the shit out of him. And he still doesn’t know if Spencer’s okay. Before he can get a word in, Spencer speaks. “Just having one of those horrible, end of the world kind of days.” 

Of course that’s how he phrases it. For a minute he just struggles, trying to find the best words to describe his current feelings. He settles on, “You scared me.”

And he receives a very guilty, “sorry,” from Spencer.

Ryan pauses, thinking over all the things he needs to ask Spencer. Thinking over all his worries. Trying again to figure out what to say. “Spencer, where are you?” He asks, because that’s probably the most important thing right now. 

“Out, with friends,” Spencer quickly says, visibly attempting to avoid confrontation. “Listen, my battery is about to die, just wanted to check in, make sure…” _ Oh no, don’t you dare, _ “listen, talk to you after the weekend okay?” Damn it.

He really won’t be able to get anything out of Spencer, will he? 

“Okay.” He says slowly. “We’ll talk then. Bye Spence.” He contemplates leaving it there, but follows it up with a few words, almost like an afterthought though they both know that’s not true, “And, Spence? I love you too.” 

Once again, the phone hangs up. He dials Brendon again, gulping air in after the stressful conversation. 

“Is he okay?!” Brendon says as soon as he picks up. No hello, no pleasantries, just pure worry. “Please tell me he’s okay, Ryan.”

“He… he is, I think. For now at least.”

He hears a sigh of relief come from Brendon. He feels kind of the same. They both stay silent for a few seconds before…

“But…”

“But, he had to go and I made him promise we’re gonna talk about this.” 

“Okay…” Brendon huffs, equally dissatisfied as Ryan is. “Did he at least say sorry?”

“Yes.”  


“Good.” Ryan smiles a little at Brendon’s reply. They relapse back into comfortable silence for about a minute, though he can hear Brendon twitching with an unasked question. 

“Brendon?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s wrong?” 

Brendon pauses and then hesitantly asks, “Can I… can I come over? I don’t really want to be alone when something could happen to Spence.” 

Ryan can’t help but agree. Spencer called _ him _ . Not Brendon, not Jon, not Pete. _ Him. _

“Alright. Come over.” 

For a final time, the phone clicks as Brendon hangs up and Ryan finds himself sliding to the floor and wrapping his arms around his legs. 


End file.
